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The latest
Death of the long pass: Are vertical plays trending toward extinction? | ESPN
The next season, Mahomes noticed defenses were starting to play him differently. If he was going to beat them, it wasn’t going to be with go-balls to Tyreek Hill.
“We faced so many deep coverages where teams were taking away all our deep throws,” Mahomes said of the 2021 season during a Super Bowl LV media session. “I had to learn when to just take what’s underneath. That’s something where I’ve kind of grown and matured. We’ll call deep plays still all the time, but if defenses are going to play that deep, even though I want to in my heart of hearts to throw it downfield and make those big plays, I’ll take the underneath stuff and find ways to move the ball down the field that way.”
The evolution of Mahomes’ aerial attack mirrors a league-wide trend that last season saw the fewest number of deep balls attempted — defined as traveling at least 15 air yards — since 2006.
“It’s directly attached to Patrick Mahomes,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said, explaining the phenomenon. “Teams have sat there and said, ‘We are going to take these home-run hitting quarterbacks and make them hit singles.’”
In a league seemingly obsessed with finding the biggest arm — and the most explosive receivers to take advantage of it — the moonshots might be a thing of the past.
There were 3,416 attempts at least 15 yards downfield during the 2022 regular season, the fewest in any season since 2006.
Doug Pederson on Jawaan Taylor: I’m sure officials have been notified after Week 1 | NBC Sports
With the Jaguars taking on the Chiefs this weekend, head coach Doug Pederson was asked about communicating with the officials before the game so that they’re aware of Taylor’s techniques. As Pederson noted, if anyone is aware of how Taylor plays it’s the Jags since Taylor spent his first four seasons with the club and started every game for them last year.
“I’m sure [the officials have] been notified after that first game on Thursday night,” Pederson said in his Wednesday press conference. “Again, a good player, we know who he is and he did the same thing here. He has great anticipation with the snap count.
“I’m optimistic our crowd will be loud and if they use a silent count, he does a great job of getting off the ball there as well. If they call it, they don’t call it. It’s only so much you can say.”
Travis Kelce’s absence affected him more than expected against the Lions, but if it weren’t for repeat drops from Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, he’d likely be 1-0. The magician still does more with less than just about anyone in the game.
Kanas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
This is a tough road game for Kansas City after not playing well in the opener. They will have Chris Jones back, and that matters. The Jaguars had problems on the interior of the offensive line last week, which is big against Jones. But I think Trevor Lawrence and the offense will play much better than a week ago. This is a shootout. Jaguars win a close one.
Pick: Jaguars 31, Chiefs 30
Inside the Stacks: Exploring important documents in Chiefs and NFL history | The Mothership
“Municipal Stadium - Stadium Improvements,” Cabinet 16, Drawer C, Lamar Hunt to Jack Steadman, August 13, 1963; Lamar Hunt to George Toma, May 5, 1966
Of all the features that made Municipal Stadium different, it was the sideline and the way that both teams were stationed there side-by-side instead of opposite one another across the field.
Interestingly, Lamar Hunt had spoken to Edwin Anderson, General Manager of the Detroit Lions, and he had verified that his club had located both benches on the same side “for years without any incidents of any kind.”
Like the Chiefs, the Lions played their games at a baseball stadium, the one-time named Briggs Stadium later to be known as Tiger Stadium. A similar sideline configuration was utilized by the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
That was enough for Hunt.
Around the NFL
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk highlight Players of the Week | NFL.com
AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa was flat-out phenomenal as he turned in an all-time season-opening performance Sunday in his Dolphins’ 36-34 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Tagovailoa’s 466 yards passing were the fourth-most in a Week 1 game in NFL history. He finished the day with 28 completions in 45 attempts, three touchdowns and a 110.0 rating. It was Tagovailoa’s first game action since Week 16 of last season in which a concussion forced him to miss the rest of the year. He certainly looked to be back and in prime form.
Jets’ Robert Saleh would ‘be shocked’ if Aaron Rodgers retires | ESPN
Until he makes a public declaration, Aaron Rodgers’ future will spark months of speculation. New York Jets coach Robert Saleh, for one, said he doesn’t believe Rodgers will be four plays and done.
“I’d be shocked if this is the way he’s going to go out,” Saleh said Wednesday.
The 39-year-old quarterback, the oldest player in the NFL, faces several months of grueling rehab after tearing his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap of the season in Monday night’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
Saleh said he hasn’t discussed the future with him, adding that Rodgers is “working through a whole lot of headspace things that he needs to deal with, and that will be the last thing I talk to him about.”
NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell called Wednesday for all 30 NFL stadiums to utilize natural grass rather than turf after New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday night at MetLife Stadium.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted Howell’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he noted that data shows playing on grass instead of turf can help curb “unnecessary injuries.”
NFLPA’s new executive director, Lloyd Howell, said all NFL stadiums need to have natural grass. pic.twitter.com/7gMvv3erKJ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2023
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Injuries: Travis Kelce’s bone bruise, availability vs. Jaguars - Arrowhead Pride
Explaining a bone bruise after a hyperextension injury
A knee hyperextension injury occurs when the knee is forcibly pushed back beyond neutral, past its normal fully extended position. In Kelce’s case, a bone bruise occurred due to the tibia (shin bone) forcefully gliding upward on the femur (thigh bone). With normal knee joint play when the knee goes into extension, when the leg is fixed on the ground, the femur should glide posteriorly on the tibia. With this abnormal and forceful joint play, a bone bruise occurs.
As with all injuries, there are grades based on the severity of the injury. In the case of a bone bruise, the degree or grade of the contusion is directly related to the force or amount of hyperextension that occurred.
As Fox Sport’s Jay Glazer reported, the Chiefs were initially concerned about a potential tibial plateau fracture. The tibial plateau is the large, flat portion of the tibia at the top of the bone which forms the knee joint with the femur. Much of the weight bearing through the leg occurs through the tibial plateau.
While painful and an injury which takes several weeks to completely recover, Kelce and the Chiefs have to be thankful there is no additional soft tissue damage or a fracture.
A tweet to make you think
#Chiefs Chris Jones: “I did take some of the stuff y’all said on Twitter personally. I keep receipts…” pic.twitter.com/Fs2Rqx5V5H
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) September 13, 2023
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